Links contained in this article

TMR Comments

Unknown | 10 Mar 2009 03:22

Proof that dollars don't buy sense.
"One for the drivers" my arse. All bar the top-spec are slower than bureaucracy, and BMWs are boring to drive since they're weighed down with all the fruit the BMW-buying wankers inevitably want.
If you want an actual driver's car for under $100K, buy an Elise or an Elfin Type-5. If they're too "harsh" for you, then you don't really want a driver's car.

Unknown | 10 Mar 2009 03:50

A bit rough Charlie!
I agree in absolute terms; I'd love an Elise or Caterham. But I think that relative to its competitors like Golf or some of the Japanese offerings, the 1 Series would have better driving dynamics. It just sucks that in Oz we pay so much tax on them; buying one new (especially a low-spec one) is really hard to justify.
Dunno if you could say BMWs are boring to drive either; they are still at or near the pinnacle of their class (critical to compare with cars of their class - not superlight track cars). They *do* have a couple of niggles that interfere with the purity of the driving experience of late though, such as manual gearboxes that have a "clutch delay valve" that is meant to smooth out the flow of clutch fluid and thus provide a smoother gearshift but in fact just makes the clutch friction point harder to 'feel'; and the lack of a limited slip diff even as an option, where BMW used to provide an LSD on non-M cars as an option in the 80s / early 90s. That was even before the red braces crowd truly made BMWs a marque for self-made wingnuts.
The basic product is still good.

Unknown | 10 Mar 2009 04:50

Oh, Charlie, steady on. Yes, the 120i is slow but it's a cracking car. Safe, reliable, handles beautifully and all that rubbish about it having inadequate rear seat room is just that - rubbish.
Under $100k there's plenty of choice for a trackday car, but the vast majority of people who buy a 1 would never consider an Elise because they can't - kids and stuff to cart about. Better the numpties in 120is than under-braked, poor-handling duds like Audi A3s.
Anyway, weighed down with what fruit? Have you ever bought a a Beemer? :-D

Unknown | 10 Mar 2009 20:46

I'm not hearing anything in those replies that is making me change my mind about the 1 Series not being a driver's car. Almost all the positive points mentioned are irrelevant, or inimical, to a a car that is "for the drivers".
Safe, reliable, removing the feel from the clutch, no LSD, the ability to carry kids, no power.....these are not qualities of a driver's car.
As a passenger car it's fine - overpriced for what it is, but handles better than other passenger cars, but as a *driver's car* it is woeful.
That said, the 125i is the same price as a RX-8. The latter is just as gutless as the former but would be cheaper to repair and service, and the RX-8's handling is amazing due to the engine's size and location.
A 135i sits in the same price range as a 350Z. In a straight line the cars are close, but once again its the total cost of ownership that I'm wondering about.
My family has owned several low end BMWs and I've also done the BMW driver training, so I know how hard the service centre bites you in the arse when it comes to running costs.
I also know that their handling is reasonably good, but the feedback from the chassis is pretty average. Its safe, as people say, but not fun. That lack of fun factor is, once again, the polar opposite of what a "driver's car" should be.
It's not the worst in the world, but it definitely feels like there are layers between you and the ground and the car is set up to keep people who can't drive from crashing than allowing people who can drive to exploit it.
That is my criticism. People buy in to the "sheer driving pleasure" bollocks, when the car is only a few degrees above ambient in hotness.